The Knicks Vs Detroit Pistons Match Player Stats from their Eastern Conference regular-season clash at Madison Square Garden on the evening of Thursday, February 19, 2026 — tip-off at 7:30pm ET — delivered one of the signature individual performances of the NBA season, as Cade Cunningham put on an MVP-level show to lead Detroit to a commanding 126-111 victory.
The Pistons, Eastern Conference leaders with a 41-13 record heading into the game, completed a season sweep of the Knicks — their third meeting going three for three — outscoring New York by a combined 84 points across the three contests.
Detroit went on a 21-8 run after falling behind 9-2 early and never looked back, ending the second quarter on a 7-0 run to lead 58-48 at halftime and building their advantage to a game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter at 104-85.
The Knicks trimmed the deficit to 11 late on Jalen Brunson’s three-pointer but could not get any closer, with Detroit’s depth and ball movement — 30 team assists on the night — proving far too much to handle.
Crucially, Detroit played without both Jalen Duren (suspended) and Isaiah Stewart (suspended), both serving bans following a brawl against Charlotte, making the performance all the more impressive.
Starting Lineups
Detroit Pistons
| Player | POS | START |
|---|---|---|
| Cade Cunningham | SG | ✓ |
| Duncan Robinson | SF | ✓ |
| Ausar Thompson | F | ✓ |
| Tobias Harris | F | ✓ |
| Paul Reed | C | ✓ |
| Daniss Jenkins | G | Bench |
| Ron Holland II | G | Bench |
New York Knicks
| Player | POS | START |
|---|---|---|
| Jalen Brunson | PG | ✓ |
| Mikal Bridges | SG | ✓ |
| OG Anunoby | SF | ✓ |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | PF | ✓ |
| Josh Hart | F | ✓ |
| Landry Shamet | G | Bench |
Box Score — Quarter-By-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Pistons | — | 58 (HT) | — | — | 126 |
| New York Knicks | — | 48 (HT) | — | — | 111 |
Knicks Vs Detroit Pistons Match Player Stats — Detroit Pistons
| Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cade Cunningham | SG | 42 | 7 | 13 | — | — | 17/33 | 5/— |
| Paul Reed | C | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tobias Harris | F | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ausar Thompson | F | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Daniss Jenkins | G | DNQ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ron Holland II | G | Returned | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Duncan Robinson | SF | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Knicks Vs Detroit Pistons Match Player Stats — New York Knicks
| Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% | 3P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Brunson | PG | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | PF | 21 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Landry Shamet | G | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | 8/35 (team) |
| Josh Hart | F | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mikal Bridges | SG | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OG Anunoby | SF | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Team Stats Comparison
| Stat | Detroit Pistons | New York Knicks |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 126 | 111 |
| Team Assists | 30 | — |
| 3P% (NYK) | — | 23% (8/35) |
| Biggest Lead | 19 | 9-2 (early) |
| Season Record | 41-13 | 35-21 |
How It Unfolded
The game was essentially a Cunningham showcase from the third quarter onward, when the Knicks cut the deficit to two points at 62-60 and Cunningham responded by scoring in four of the Pistons’ next seven possessions, including a left-handed dunk that sent the Madison Square Garden crowd into stunned silence.
His 42 points came on 17-of-33 shooting with five three-pointers, 13 assists and seven rebounds — a performance that cemented his place in the ongoing MVP conversation and extended Detroit’s extraordinary season.
New York’s 23% shooting from three-point range was simply too poor to compete against a Pistons side boasting the second-best defensive rating in the league at 109.2 going into the contest.